UFC 66 (12/30/06): Liddell v. Ortiz 2

[Just call me Dan 0]

I thought it was a fantastic show. Great way for newer UFC fans to get acquainted with a lot of bigger names all in one card. I had a lot of people over to view the fight, and I think the show will keep them coming back especially with how hyped I am for the 67 card that looks tremendous.

 

Bisping looked great to me. He made mistakes and Schafer worked hard to capitalize, but the result always seemed pretty much a given as The Count would just get himself out of any trouble with relative ease. Glad to see him be so over.

 

Arlovski was brilliant, but I would have liked to see him a little more aggressive. Cruz REALLY got stuck on the ground. Watching it in slow motion was hilarious because of the long pause before the punch with Andre scouting the perfect time.

 

Griffin/Jardine was a heartbreaker. It was a nice exchanging fight but I hatred to see Griffin blasted like that. Jardine's right hands in the mount were VICIOUS.

 

McDonald looked pretty damn smooth here again, proving he is the undisputed king of redheads now with subs on Leben and Herman. I don't see him doing a whole lot moe after this, but that's just my take.

 

Liddell/Ortiz was very fun to watch. I got the same vibe as the Hughes/GSP II matchup whereas when the bell rang, one guy had already lost the fight. Chuck gave Tito a LOT of respect with the standup as he looked as though he could have just gone for the kill on several occasions but held off. Tito was game, but the takedowns just WERE NOT happening. Chuck's defense continues to be wonderful. Hated to see Tito strung out like that and seemingly never going to get his title back. Oh well, he fought hard and was classy throughout, which was nice for a change.

 

VERY excited for the next show, and I really hope to see Chuck walse through his long awaited rematch with Jackson. I don't see that as much of a fight these days, but who knows. Cro Cop should be huge in UFC.

 

Overall, worth the buy. Very entertaining. Really hoping Griffin and Ortiz come back with better showings in the future. Hated to see both guys end the night with such heartbreak.

[razazteca 0]

McDonald looked pretty damn smooth here again, proving he is the undisputed king of redheads now with subs on Leben and Herman. I don't see him doing a whole lot moe after this, but that's just my take.

Ol McDonald has all the skills ei-ei-ei-o and in the octogen he dominated the overrated reality tv stars ei-ei-ei-o with a punch here and a kick there and a choke there and a armbar there.....ei-ei-ei-o. After dominating all of the redheads maybe its time to challenge the black guys like Josh Koshchek, Shonie Carter, Gideon Ray, Chek Kongo then go on to destroy every single Gracie Jujitsu specialist from Cesar Gracie or Renzo Gracie schools.

[randomguy 0]

Leben has been exposed from day 1. He went 0-2 on TUF! If you take away his reputation for being a tough brawler (a reputation that doesn't really seem earned from what I've seen) you are left with a very medicore performer without any real skills on his feet, in the clinch or on the ground. The guy is a textbook "wade in and throw punches" sort of fighter. No kicks, no movement, no technique. Walk straight ahead and keep punching isn't going to cut it. The only guys he can beat are other wade in and throw punches guys who don't throw as hard.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

In a lot of ways, whether Leben is overrated or not doesn't matter. He has the kinds of fights people like and as long as he keeps that up, he'll stay employed by the UFC. Sure, it would be nice if he was a good fighter, but that isn't always the most important thing.

[razazteca 0]

Considering the practices done to cut weight it shouldn't be a problem McDonald won't have to sit in the sauna to dehydrate himself for 4 hours that week. As for Leben well he is a good draw for the Fight Night specials on tv and should be used sparingly for PPV and only used to put over the next big thing I don't see him getting a title shot anytime soon just let the top contenders walk over him on the way to the top.

[Guest Irish Lion]

Turns out Liddell went into the fight with a torn ACL, which took place three weeks ago, and Ortiz apparently broke his foot in the first round.

 

So he's going to come up with another excuse as to why he lost? Not sure if he is or not but it seems Tito comes up with something every fight. And he says it in an off-handed way.

"Yeah I broke my foot. But whatever. No big deal. No excuse." And then he continues on with the interview. But he's placed the seeds of doubt in everyone's mind. Didn't he break it on Chuck's knee though?

 

I was under the impression you couldn't walk with a torn ACL. How devastating is it? Or is Chuck just damn tough?(well he is but you know what i mean)

[Ripper 0]

You can walk or do stuff with it. Just hurts like hell. But usually that is after you tear it. It is something amazing to tear it weeks ago and still do stuff.

[Guest Irish Lion]

Yeah everyone I've ever known with a torn ACL was on crutches with a huge brace. I knew Liddell was tough but man. Wish I was that tough.

[NoCalMike 0]

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 2

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5...ortiz&hl=en

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

Yeah everyone I've ever known with a torn ACL was on crutches with a huge brace. I knew Liddell was tough but man. Wish I was that tough.

 

You can walk on it in a straight line but it makes the knee joint unstable as hell when it comes to pivoting, planting or changing direction. Plus yeah, it hurts like hell.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Good thing UFC has Rampage to help build up the LHW division because Chuck probably won't be defending that belt until the end of the summer, earliest.

[AboveAverage484 0]

So who's number 1 LHW? I really like Liddell, but Shogun's talent is undeniable, despite his lackluster performance. I go with Chuck.

[Darthtiki 0]

Good thing UFC has Rampage to help build up the LHW division because Chuck probably won't be defending that belt until the end of the summer, earliest.

 

If Chuck's ACL tear requires surgery, doesn't that mean the title goes vacant?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Nope. Franklin was out for about 8 months with his broken hand and they didn't strip him. Chuck is their #1 draw and their biggest star. He could take a year off and they'd welcome him back to defend the title. Even then he'd still be defending it more then any PRIDE champion.

 

Having said that, they should strip Sherk of the title if the rumours are true that he's going to be out until the fall. But those are only rumours.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The payoffs for UFC 66:

 

These are the official numbers reported to the NSAC and do not include deductions (usually a couple hundred dollars) for items like insurance, licenses, etc. Additionally, these salaries do not include the typical bonuses the UFC pays for the submission of the night, knockout of the night and fight of the night. They also do not include the pay-per-view cuts that some of the UFC’s top fighters receive.

 

In other words, although these are official salaries, they do not necessarily represent exactly what each fighter made for his fight.

 

Also worth noting is that the official paperwork showed no “win bonus” for Chuck Liddell (the paperwork also showed that Tito Ortiz also would have not received a win bonus if he had won). I’m assuming the UFC had a special deal in place for their marquee attractions, and I’m sure they were taken care of (financially) in some other way, such as getting a cut of the pay-per-view revenue.

 

So without further adieu…

 

Chuck Liddell def. Tito Ortiz — TKO (strikes) in Round 3, 3:59

Chuck Liddell: $250,000 ($250,000 to fight; no win bonus)

Tito Ortiz: $210,000 ($210,000 to fight; no win bonus)

Keith Jardine def. Forrest Griffin — TKO (strikes) in Round 1, 4:41

Keith Jardine: $14,000 ($7,000 to fight; $7,000 win bonus)

Forrest Griffin: $16,000 ($16,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Jason MacDonald def. Chris Leben — Submission (guillotine choke) in Round 2, 4:03

Jason MacDonald: $10,000 ($5,000 to fight; $5,000 win bonus)

Chris Leben: $7,000 ($7,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Andrei Arlovski def. Marcio Cruz — KO (strikes) in Round 1, 3:15

Andrei Arlovski: $145,0O0 ($90,000 to fight; $55,000 win bonus)

Marcio Cruz: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Michael Bisping def. Eric Schafer — TKO (strikes) in Round 1, 4:24

Michael Bisping: $24,0O0 ($12,000 to fight; $12,000 win bonus)

Eric Schafer: $4,000 ($4,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Thiago Alves def. Tony DeSouza — KO (knee) in Round 2, 1:10

Thiago Alves: $22,000 ($11,000 to fight; $11,000 win bonus)

Tony DeSouza: $7,000 ($7,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Gabriel Gonzaga def. Carmelo Marrero — Submission (armbar) in Round 1, 3:22

Gabriel Gonzaga: $18,000 ($9,000 to fight; $9,000 win bonus)

Carmelo Marrero: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

Yushin Okami def. Rory Singer — Submission (strikes) in Round 3, 4:03

Yushin Okami: $16,000 ($8,000 to fight; $8,000 win bonus)

Rory Singer: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)

Christian Wellisch def. Anthony Perosh — Decision (unanimous)

Christian Wellisch: $6,000 ($3,000 to fight; $3,000 win bonus)

Anthony Perosh: $3,000 ($3,000 to fight; no win bonus)

 

UFCJunkie

[Magus 0]

I thought the show was great, but I noticed something and I need to know if anyone else noticed it or knows what its about.

 

After Chuck won, Dana was standing behind him with the belt, ready to put it around his waist. As Buffer was making the announcement, I could CLEARLY see Dana saying to Chuck "You're a fucking asshole." You couldn't hear it, but anyone could read his lips and tell that's what he said, and it looked like he was saying it to Chuck. So what the fuck? Does anyone know what this is about?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Chuck told Dana that his ACL was fucked and that's why Dana called him an asshole.

[Mik 0]

I'm a little late to the party as I just got back in town but the show was everything it needed to be. I convinced a bunch of non-UFC fans to order the show and now they are all hooked on MMA. All the matches were entertaining enough and no snoozers in the bunch, which helped. As did Keith Jardine's absolute murdering of Forrest Griffin. The double impact of the punches and then Forrest's head hitting the canvas was sick.

 

We went to the bar after the PPV and I heard at least 5-7 different groups of guys...big groups...all talking about the show. I think the buy numbers are going to be in line with the projections.

 

I can't wait for the February show.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

You know that GSP is off the February show, right? I'm looking forward to seeing Rampage and Cro-Cop in the octagon but GSP not being around to murder Yoda just doesn't make the show as fun.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The official numbers for crowd and gate are 12,191 paid for a gate of $5,397,300.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Ask and ye shall recieve, Athlete. You get Franklin in March in Ohio for his comeback fight.

[Mik 0]

Interesting fight.

 

I did not know that GSP was off the February show, and I'm not too happy about the news. Damn.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Someone's been bad:

 

Thiago Alves (Pictures) tested positive for a banned substance following his stoppage of Tony DeSouza (Pictures) in a UFC-promoted contest, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer told Sherdog.com on Thursday.

 

Alves (10-3-0) could be fined and suspended by the NSAC after trace amounts of spironolactone, a diuretic which could be used to cut weight and mask steroids, was found in the explosive Brazilian welterweight's system. Kizer said post-fight drug tests indicated Alves, 23, was clean of steroids.

 

Through an American Top Team spokesman, Alves indicated he did not take any diuretics. The fighter conceded, however, that it's possible something could have been in the supplements he ingested leading up to the bout.

 

Spironolactone, also known as a "water pill," is generally prescribed to treat high blood pressure, swelling caused by congestive heart failure, kidney and liver disease and conditions in which there are abnormally low levels of potassium in the blood, according to WebMD.com.

 

This marks the first time a mixed martial artist has tested positive for a diuretic in Nevada. Four boxers, including star Ricardo Mayorga, showed traces of Lasix in their systems following NSAC-sanctioned bouts. The hard-hitting Nicaraguan and two other boxers received eight-month suspensions from the NSAC. The fourth, boxer and K-1 fighter Dewey Cooper, will stand in front of the commission Monday.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

And just when I hear that Alves vs Burkman had been rumoured for either the January UFN card or 67. Fark.

[Lei Tong 0]

To reiterate: fuck ATT.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I'm guessing Tong got punked by Monson at a sub tourney and has been catching feelings ever since.

[Lei Tong 0]

If by "punked" you mean having to sit through 4 of the most god-awful man-on-man assrammings masquearding as submission wrestling, then yes.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I do.

[v.2 0]

From MMAWeekly:

 

with Tito Ortiz and that he also did injure his finger. He also cleared up some of the misinformation that has spread.

 

The initial reports in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Wrestling Observer were that Liddell had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in training and that it would require surgery to repair, leaving the Ultimate Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Champion out of action for the better part of 2007.

 

Liddell seemed unclear as to how the nature of his injury became so distorted. In fact, according to him, the knee injury wasn’t anywhere near as serious as a torn ACL. “It didn’t affect my training… I don’t know who said that. I mean, I told Dana afterwards, but he was one of the few people outside of my camp and my camp won’t talk about it. Someone said it was an ACL. No, no, no, no. I tore an MCL,” stated the champ. “It happens to wrestlers all the time. It’s painful, but there were no stability problems… It changed very little in my game and I don’t think it really had any effect on the fight.”

 

Liddell also confirmed the finger injury, as he said, “It’s just a tendon popped out. Other than it looking really ugly if you don’t get it fixed, it doesn’t do much. It stops you from extending your finger. It doesn’t hurt me from grabbing or making a fist for punching. I have a splint on it and they say that if I keep that on it for 4 to 6 weeks it should [heal without surgery]. Hopefully that works.”

 

If it had been an ACL injury, it is likely that Liddell would be facing a best-case scenario of being out of action for at least 6 months. But with the knee injury being a tear to his MCL and given that he doesn't need surgery on his finger, he doesn’t expect to be out of action any longer than his typical post-fight recovery. “I’m doing some gym work [now]. I’ll probably start running and other things next week. I’ll probably take the 4 to 6 weeks it takes for my hand to heal before I start to spar and doing that stuff.”

 

Liddell continued, “Typically after fights, with all the PR stuff I’m doing, that’s usually the amount of time I’m taking off after fights anyway. What the doctor said was that if you take a week to four weeks off, [the knee] will be 100 percent. Now I have four weeks to do stuff on it lightly and it should be 100 percent.”

 

The misunderstanding of the injury being a torn ACL, which typically does require surgical repair, could stem from the conversation in the Octagon in which Liddell told UFC president Dana White about the injury. “I said [to Dana], ‘Oh, by the way, I tore my MCL before this fight.’ Anytime I’ve been injured going into a fight, I’ll never tell. I tell him afterwards, and he said, ‘You f**king a**hole.’ He was just laughing at me, pretty much [in the manner he said it]. It’s what you’d say to a friend.”